May 16, 2018 UPDATE: The Cannabis Saves Lives tour visit to Enumclaw’s Chalet Theatre has been cancelled, according to organizer and hip-hop artist Timothy Edwards, also known as Tim-Me.

In a statement to the Courier-Herald on May 16, Tim-Me alleged Afroman, who was scheduled to perform with the tour, will not do the show; Tim-Me said he will be seeking legal action.

May 15, 2018 Original Story: Cannabis culture is crashing The Chalet this weekend.

On May 19, the Cannabis Saves Lives tour — organized by Enumclaw’s very own Timothy Edwards (or Tim-Me, his artist name) — will be performing with the renowned Afroman (Joseph Foreman) and Big Buzz from 8 to 11:30 p.m.

This is the second tour Tim-Me has taken around the country as a hip hop artist as well as a motivational speaker who focuses on the health benefits of cannabis.

“I was born with a condition — arthrogryposis — I was born with my arms backwards, and my intestines out of my stomach,” Tim-Me, 34, said. “I wasn’t expected to live.”

Tim-Me spent much of his childhood at the hospital or in recovery, having surgery after surgery because of his condition. This eventually led to his addiction to pills.

“Especially in the early 2000s, pharmaceutical drugs were getting handed out like candy, and cannabis wasn’t an option for me as a kid,” Tim-Me said. “A lot of my early years was opiates, but then I started to want more of the uppers, which they didn’t want to give me, so that crossed me over to street drugs.”

As a young adult, Tim-Me had a hard time dealing with people’s “fascination” with his condition, and the drugs — both legal and illegal — helped him not only manage pain, but also provided a way for him to escape.

But then he started to see how his lifestyle was taking a toll on him and his friends.

“I’ve seen a lot of friends who’ve died from drug addiction that was not related to cannabis,” Tim-Me said. “I struggled with drug addiction when I was young. If it wasn’t for cannabis, I’d be on those pharmaceutical drugs.”

It was about a decade ago when Tim-Me got his green card as a medical cannabis user, and said he was able to rely on the cannabis more than his prescriptions.

In 2012, Tim-Me became a host on Washington’s first cannabis-related radio show, Green Stream.

“It was my time on that show that I became known in the cannabis industry and I became more educated about cannabis and the medical benefits it has,” he said.

The health effects of marijuana — a talking point of Tim-Me’s — is a highly controversial subject, which is exacerbated by a lack of research, since the drug was illegal in most states until recently.

According to the CDC, there are risks to using marijuana: 1 in 10 people can become addicted (and one in six, if you’re under 18); it can interfere with brain development in kids and young adults and have both short and long-term effects on the adult brain; it can negatively affect the heart and lungs; it can negatively affect mental health; and there is “limited evidence” marijuana smoking can cause cancer, specifically testicular.

However, the CDC also notes marijuana can be “helpful in treating nausea and vomiting,” especially when it comes to cancer treatments, and studies show marijuana can be used to manage pain, like those with multiple sclerosis.

Other allegedly positive side effects include helping with sleep, managing weight loss, and treating PTSD and epilepsy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Beyond the health effects and consequences of marijuana, though, Tim-Me also wants to change the stigma that surrounds marijuana and marijuana users.

“I break that stereotype that a stoner is somebody who can’t accomplish things,” he said. “There’s no limit to what you can accomplish.”

But you shouldn’t expect a lecture about cannabis at The Chalet event — Tim-Me just wants to put on a good show for the people of Enumclaw.

“I wanted to bring something to Enumclaw, because Enumclaw doesn’t have a lot of entertainment,” he said. “Me growing up as a kid around here, there was never anything to do. This is a 21-and-up event, so I can’t say I’m doing it for the kids, but I know that I’m doing it for a lot of my friends… who don’t go out to the city who want to go to a show and have a good time, and I have the opportunity to bring it here.”

Tickets to the show are $20, or $35 for a VIP ticket which comes with early entrance and an afterparty. Tickets can be bought at www.chalettheatre.com.

Tim-Me’s first album, “Still Growin’: Cuts of Cannabis,” was released in 2014. Photo by Robert Lang/Robert Lang Studios